Director Michael Chertoff
Michael Chertoff served as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2005 to 2009, leading the country in blocking would-be terrorists from crossing our borders or implementing their plans if they were already in the country. He also transformed FEMA into an effective organization following Hurricane Katrina, but his greatest successes have earned few headlines – because the important news is what didn’t happen.
Before heading up the Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Chertoff served as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (2003 – 2005), Assistant Attorney General of the United States, Criminal Division (2001 – 2003), and as a federal prosecutor for more than a decade, investigating and prosecuting cases of political corruption, organized crime, corporate fraud and terrorism – including the investigation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Today, Secretary Chertoff is the Co-founder and Executive Chairman of the Chertoff Group that provides high-level strategic counsel to corporate and government leaders on a broad range of security issues, from risk identification and prevention to preparedness, response and recovery.
Secretary Chertoff also serves on multiple boards and as senior counsel at Covington & Burling LLP as a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations practice group. He graduated magna cum laude graduate from Harvard College (1975) and Harvard Law School (1978). From 1979-1980, and served as a clerk to Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, Jr.